Under pain of the hot irons could I finish this column without mentioning that the Oxfam shop in Cork is now celebrating its 10th anniversary. The three-storey shop at Cook Street is run and managed by 42 volunteers - 39 women and three men. So what's wrong with the men?
Last year, the shop had an income of £95,000 - a hefty amount to raise when the average price of second-hand clothing is £3.95. The shop, over the years, has raised money for many urgent and needy causes all over the world, such as Rwanda, Somalia and Kosovo.